From late February until now, the war in Ukraine has dominated the headlines in 2022 like there are no other stories to report.
Even before Russia invaded its neighbour, months of tensions had pointed to the risk of conflict in Europe. But it was hardly conceivable how important and protracted the battle would become.
The war caused tens of thousands of casualties, forced millions from their homes, and triggered a multifaceted global economic crisis.
From battlefield gains and losses to massive refugee flows and instrumental weapons supplies, in the maps and charts below, Al Jazeera looks at the course of the ground war, its human cost and global response.
Control the situation on the ground
In late 2021, available satellite imagery showed Russian troops massing on the snowy Ukrainian border, raising fears of an invasion. Diplomatic efforts went nowhere, and on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a televised address what he called a “special military operation” aimed at “denazifying” and “demilitarizing” Ukraine.
At that time, Russian ground forces invaded from four main fronts in the north, northeast, east and south, while artillery and missiles were aimed at many points. People in Europe’s second-largest country woke up to sirens and explosions.
President Vladimir Zelensky has vowed that Ukraine will fight back, while his government declares martial law and tells Ukrainians to take up arms.
In the first month of the war, Russian forces pushed toward Ukraine’s largest cities, including the capital, Kyiv, and second-largest, Kharkiv. Moscow’s army took control of the southern city of Kherson early on, but any hopes for quick Russian control have been thwarted by Ukrainian resistance.
Buta, on the outskirts of Kyiv, has become a strategic base for Russia’s attempted push toward the capital. However, Russia withdrew its troops from the Kyiv region at the end of March and signaled that it would focus on capturing the eastern Donbass. At that time, evidence of alleged war crimes began to emerge. During a visit to Butchart in April, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan described Ukraine as a “crime scene”.
By June, after months of heavy fighting, Russia controlled a fifth of Ukraine, including the southern port city of Mariupol. By mid-year, the front was largely consolidated, but by early September, after Russian fighters redeployed to Donetsk and the southern axis, the Ukrainian army managed to take advantage of the fact that Russia was weak in northeastern Ukraine. In the south, the Ukrainian offensive in Kherson poses a threat.
The result was a swift counteroffensive that caught the Kremlin by surprise and led to Ukrainian forces recapturing large tracts of land in the Kharkiv region and the town of Izyum. According to the Ministry of Defense, the recovered territory is at least twice the size of London.
Nikolai Mitrokhin, a Russia researcher at the University of Bremen in Germany, told Al Jazeera: “In just four days, Ukraine has overturned the successes achieved by the Russian military in the previous four months, and it has come at a huge cost to them.”
Ukraine’s Eastern Counteroffensive
The Kremlin was caught off guard by a swift Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east, leading Ukrainian troops to retake large swaths of the Kharkiv region and the town of Izyum. (Al Jazeera)
In response, Putin announced the annexation of four partially occupied states in eastern and southern Ukraine. The move comes after voters in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye backed joining Russia. It is considered pointless and illegal, based on the results of the referendum rejected by the Kyiv government and its Western allies.
Which regions of Ukraine did Russia annex?
The Kremlin said four parts of Ukraine, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, which are partly occupied by Russia, will be merged with Russia after a “referendum”. (Al Jazeera)
Although Putin announced that Russia has “four new regions”, calling its residents “our eternal citizens”. But a few weeks later, his troops withdrew from the city of Kherson. It was the first and only regional capital occupied by Russian troops since the beginning of the war.
Russian officials said the decision was made to save the lives of Russian soldiers in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensive and difficulties keeping supply lines to strategic cities open.
Counteroffensive in Southern Ukraine
Since early September, Kyiv forces have recaptured swathes of territory in southern Ukraine, most importantly Kherson. (Al Jazeera)
Since then, the fighting has mainly focused on the Donbass. Russian troops have been attacking the Donetsk city of Bakhmut for months, at great cost. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops advanced towards the important town of Kremina in Lugansk.
Labor costs
fleeing refugees
The war has created one of the largest population displacement crises in the world.
About a third of Ukraine’s more than 40 million people have been forced from their homes at some point since the invasion. And more than 7.8 million refugees flocked to Europe, and about 6 million refugees were internally displaced. The European Union has granted Ukrainians the right to live and work in the 27-member bloc for up to three years.
Since late February, the United Nations has recorded 16.5 million departures from Ukraine and 8.7 million arrivals. Most of those fleeing Ukraine were women and children, as men aged 18 to 60 were ordered to stay and fight.
The map below shows where people fled.
Where are people fleeing?
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 16.5 million people have crossed the Ukrainian border, the United Nations said. (Al Jazeera)
living expenses
The ongoing conflict has sparked a global cost-of-living crisis, with rising prices for commodities including food, fertilizer and fuel.
In particular, the war exposed how dependent Europe was on Russian energy. The interruption of grain exports has led to higher food prices in countries that are highly dependent on supplies from Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine is also feeling the effects. The country has suffered economic and social losses due to damaged infrastructure, a dislocated workforce and limited access to markets.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine’s gross domestic product is expected to fall by a third in 2022.
In December 2021, two months before the Russian invasion, the inflation rate in Ukraine was 10%. This rises to 26.5% by November 2022. The price of staples such as bread has risen by 35%, while fuel and transportation costs have risen by about 40%.
cost of living in ukraine
In December 2021, two months before the Russian invasion, the inflation rate in Ukraine was 10%. This rises to 26.5% by November 2022. (Al Jazeera)
live in the dark
Since October 10, waves of Russian attacks have destroyed or damaged power stations and other infrastructure. And that infrastructure is needed to protect millions of Ukrainians from harsh weather conditions.
The attacks destroyed more than 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy facilities, cutting off heat and water throughout the city. Ukraine’s Western allies say the attack on key installations is aimed at using Europe’s winter as a weapon.
All in all, Ukraine’s energy production has declined since the invasion, with the largest drop in nuclear energy, which provides more than half of the country’s electricity. Demand fell about 30 percent in the first week of the war, partly because 15 nuclear reactors in Ukraine were disconnected from the grid during the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian power generation
Since the invasion began, electricity generation in Ukraine has decreased. Demand also fell, but rose again with the onset of winter. (Al Jazeera)
Electricity demand increases as winter sets in, but rolling blackouts mean households use sleeping bags to keep warm. In addition, hospital operations are also performed with mobile phone flashlights. People are trying to find places in cities where they can charge their phones.
global response
Sanctions on Russia
At least 46 countries or regions have imposed a total of more than 10,000 sanctions on Russia due to the war, making Russia the most heavily sanctioned country in the world, ahead of Iran, Syria and North Korea.
Countries and blocs including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union imposed 8,613 sanctions on individuals, 1,658 on entities, 92 on ships, and 14 on aircraft .
Which countries sanctioned Russia?
At least 46 countries or regions have imposed sanctions on Russia, or pledged joint U.S. and EU sanctions. Since February 22, more than 10,377 sanctions have been imposed on Russia, making it the most sanctioned country in the world. (Al Jazeera)
According to World Bank forecasts, by the end of 2022, Russia’s GDP is expected to decline by 4.5% in a worst-case scenario.
Western aid to Ukraine
According to data released by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank, the United States, the European Union and European countries provide most of the military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The data collected by the Kiel Institute quantifies the military, financial and humanitarian aid provided by various governments to Ukraine (mainly EU and G7 countries). Military aid includes weapons, equipment and financial assistance to the Ukrainian military. Humanitarian relief includes medical care, food and other items for civilians. Financial aid is provided in the form of grants, loans and guarantees.
In total, the United States has pledged about 47.8 billion euros ($50.3 billion) in military, financial and humanitarian aid to Kyiv, nearly half of which is in the form of military aid. EU institutions such as the European Investment Bank, the European Commission and Council, and the European Peace Fund have pledged 35 billion euros ($36.8 billion) in aid to Ukraine, much of it in the form of financial aid. Britain is the third-largest donor of aid to Ukraine, pledging 7.1 billion euros ($7.5 billion) between Jan. 24 and Nov. 20.
Global Support for Ukraine
weapon of war
Western military supplies have bolstered Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the northeast and south, helping it retake large swathes of territory. Key among these is the highly mobile artillery rocket system provided by the United States, known as the “Hippocampus”.
Konstantinos Grivas, who teaches advanced weapon systems at the Army Academy in Greece, said: “‘Hippocampus’ together with GMLR (Guided Multiple Rocket System) achieves excellent strike accuracy”, adding that “the Russians have no similar s things.”
“Hippocampus”
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Seahorse, is a high-tech lightweight rocket launcher supplied to Ukraine by the United States. (Al Jazeera)
In mid-December, the United States also agreed to send the “Patriot” missile system to Ukraine. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the surface-to-air missile system is one of the “most widely operational and reliable air-to-air missile defense systems.” A theater ballistic missile defense capability would benefit Ukraine’s defense against ballistic missiles that could damage critical and energy infrastructure.
Russia, on the other hand, has recently been using so-called “kamikaze” drones to cause widespread destruction, launching large numbers of drones on Ukrainian cities and military positions. The Ukrainian government has accused Iran of supplying Russia with low-cost Shahid drones. The drone can carry a 40kg warhead and is designed to fly at low altitudes to avoid radar. Iran has denied the allegation.